


campfire

by seuldy



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F, Slow Burn, brief mention of alcohol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 08:38:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5961028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seuldy/pseuds/seuldy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>seulgi and wendy are extras on a film set. shenanigans ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	campfire

**Author's Note:**

> based off of this prompt: two extras have to sit across from each other and pretend to converse at a restaurant on the set of a movie. but the fake conversation turns to real conversation and they are really into each other and the director calls cut because they are distracting from the actual characters who are supposed to be the ones making eyes and looking like they’re falling in love, not a couple of random extras.
> 
> i probably should've proofread this, but i wanted to post it before i changed my mind. my apologies for any errors.

Seulgi wasn’t quite sure how she ended up being yet another underpaid extra on the set of one of the most anticipated films in South Korea. Like most things that happened to her, she kind of just stumbled upon it, this time in a wayward email from her university’s student affairs office that probably wasn’t even meant for her. Not that she was complaining or anything; being a dance major didn’t really do much for her position in the job market, and Seulgi ended up unemployed, the way most fresh graduates do.

On the surface, it didn’t seem like she was too concerned with finding a job. The leisure time allowed her to sleep in, to spend her days aimlessly wandering around Seoul with her sketchpad and drawing pens, something she’d never had the time to do. However, sketching the same scenery got boring after a day or two, and sleeping in was starting to become unfeasible since Seulgi still lived with her parents, who (Seulgi knew, she just did) were silently judging her, wondering if their daughter even knew what she was doing with her life. Deep down, though, Seulgi was beginning to feel that she was floundering. There were only so many life updates on social media she could take from acquaintances without feeling a little discouraged. ‘What do they have that I don’t?’ she wondered to herself, watching her friends from the sidelines. Irene talked about how she was promoted over long-time employee Park Bogum (in spite of his loyalty to the company). Her friend Amber had moved abroad for work. She was offered a job in PR, since she was highly personable and fluent in multiple languages. Meanwhile Seulgi had nothing other than a couple of sketches and an unhealthy sleep schedule to fall back on.

Which is why when the opportunity for employment presented itself, she grabbed it, feverishly filling in whatever application forms needed to be filled. Dotting all the i’s, crossing all the t’s.

Her parents weren’t too impressed with her job as a film extra, but if it meant that Seulgi would finally be getting out of bed at a socially acceptable time, they would keep their disapproval to themselves.

/

Yook Sungjae was a handsome man, as far as men went - Seulgi thought she could have been interested in him, had she been interested in men at all. He was also the most ridiculous person she’d ever laid eyes on - the run around set with a fish down his shirt unscripted kind of ridiculous (Seulgi’s heard rumours that the scene might even make it into the film). Sungjae had memorized most of the extras’ names by day 2 of filming. By the end of the first week he had become comfortable with most of them, cracking jokes and making sure to accommodate them with free coffee whenever he could.

Joy (her stage name - she had not disclosed her birth name to anyone) carried herself with the air of a lead actress. Seulgi often saw her making polite conversation with the extras before disappearing into her dressing room, only emerging for lunch or when she had a scene to film. Her arrival on set was always given away by multiple heads turning all at once. She was distant, but not unapproachable. On the contrary; people tripped over themselves to talk to her, to offer her favours (which she politely declined). She inspired the kind of helplessness Seulgi often felt around beautiful women.

Sungjae and Joy made a sweet couple, at least on screen. Sometimes Seulgi caught Joy looking wistfully at Sungjae cracking jokes with the other cast members or extras. Sungjae seemed oblivious to whatever Joy was feeling. If he had caught on he never showed it, affectionately ruffling her hair as they walked past each other, teasing and babying her the way an older brother would.

Yeri (her name was on her letterman jacket), one of the backup camera people and resident gossip, had confirmed that nothing was going on between them to the girl sitting at the table Seulgi was assigned to. Seulgi had mistaken the girl for an actress in the film, since she was so pretty. It was hard not to gape at her at her as she spoke, so Seulgi fixed her eyes on a crack in the wall in front of them.

“Joy likes him but he's either very professional or just doesn't like her back,” Yeri said, quietly but loud enough for Seulgi to also hear.

“Maybe he's gay,” said the other girl nonchalantly. “there are rumours about him, you know.” This piqued Seulgi's interest, but not enough for her to interject. She remained quiet as the two girls gossiped some more before Yeri was called back to her camera.

Silence fell over their table. It was just her and the other girl, fiddling mindlessly with her phone. She remembered the extras’ stage directions; their job was simply to ‘look natural’, whatever that meant. She heard other crew members shuffling about animatedly. Filming was about to start. Sungjae was in the center, with a secondary actor Seulgi didn't recognize. Joy was nowhere to be seen.

“Action!” The sound of the clapperboard snapping shut was deafening. Seulgi watched in awe as Yook Sungjae’s face turned into a mask, the mask of his character’s face. He was extremely talented.

“He’s good, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Seulgi replied. Her gaze lingered on Sungjae for another moment before she turned towards the other girl, realizing belatedly that she made her nervous.

“I’m Wendy,” the girl whispered, with a winning smile.

Seulgi felt her heart swell in her throat. She swallowed it down and nodded. “Seulgi,” she whispered back.

They lapsed back into momentary silence, before trying to say something - at the same time. Noticing that they had interrupted each other, Wendy began to giggle, earning herself a few glares and frowns before passing it off as a coughing fit. Seulgi had managed to keep her mouth shut, but her stomach was straining with the effort of holding her laughter in. They continued to whisper, as per their stage directions to ‘act natural’. Seulgi realized that Wendy was ambitious, and painfully so.

“So what made you decide to sign up for this job?” she asked Seulgi, who shrugged.

“Just something to fill in the time, before I find something. You know. Better. What about you?”

Wendy’s eyes traveled around the set, settling on Sungjae, the other actors on set. It became clear, in that split second, that Wendy wanted stardom.

“This is the life I want,” Wendy replied, “what better way to start than here?”

Seulgi couldn’t argue with that. Wendy said she was excited about making connections on set. Her dream was to sing, but acting could be a start for her. Yes, she’d acted before, in school plays where she’d won awards. She knew that school plays weren’t the same as the Real Thing, but...and here she paused, and her hesitation was strange to see.

“I’ve got nothing to lose now, I guess,” she said matter-of-factly, speaking more to herself than to Seulgi, who was interrupted by the snap of the clapperboard and the director’s loud “Cut!”

As the crew members positioned the cameras for the next take, Seulgi and Wendy continued their conversation, learning way more about each other than Seulgi had expected to. They were practically strangers, but by the end of the day Seulgi didn’t feel that way. She realized that she had grown comfortable sharing more about herself with Wendy, and Wendy seemed to feel the same way, filling in the silences that fell between them with more facts about herself, offhand comments about the scene being shot, and so on. The silences became shorter as the day neared its end.

They said goodbye to each other at the bus stop. On the bus, Seulgi leaned her head against the window, her eyelids heavy; she was exhausted. She had drifted off into a semi-deep sleep by the time the bus arrived at her stop. She stumbled off, eager to get to her bed.

But when she arrived there she found she could not sleep. She felt restless. She kept tossing and turning, her thoughts drifting to Wendy. She wished she had asked for her number, even though she knew, realistically, that she was too shy.

Her phone vibrated under her pillow. She pulled it out, realizing that she had a notification from Facebook. It was a friend request from Wendy.

But how did she find me? Seulgi wondered. She had never given Wendy her last name; Wendy must’ve gone out of her way to find it somehow. The realization made her smile. It was stupid, but no one had ever gone out of their way to find her before. The novelty of it all made her a little jittery. Seulgi accepted the request, eyes lingering on Wendy’s profile picture for a second too long before she put her phone away, drifting off into a deep sleep.

/

A few weeks had passed since Seulgi had met Wendy. They were almost inseparable, and often got in trouble together on set. While Seulgi was far from quiet, she also wasn’t as talkative as Wendy, which is why Wendy got the blame for most of their shenanigans. This time she had gotten the blame for an outburst of giggles that were too loud to be passed off as a coughing fit; the director had sent them all off for a 15 minute break and had stormed off set, cigarette in her mouth and lighter in her hand before she had even made it outside.

“It’s just not fair!” complained Wendy, though her eyes were sparkling mischievously, “you’re just as awful as me so why do I always get the blame?!”

Seulgi grinned at her new friend, sitting next to her on the bench outside and knocking their knees together. Wendy sat down in a huff, crossing her arms. But once Seulgi had ducked her head to catch her eye, her pout was gone and they were both laughing again, in hearty tones that carried their way across to the cast members having a cigarette break nearby.

“Don’t pay attention to her. She looks like she doesn’t even know what fun means.”

Wendy still looked a little embarrassed, but she was smiling anyway. Seulgi decided to change the subject.

“So, any plans this weekend?”

“No, not really. You?”

“No.” Seulgi avoided eye contact while the question hung in the air, unasked. Want to hang out this weekend? It was on the tip of Seulgi’s tongue. She desperately willed herself to ask it, but the words barely escaped her lips before they were called back inside for the next scene.

“Come on, let’s go!” Wendy had gotten up before her. Before she knew it, Wendy had slipped her hand into Seulgi’s, pulling her up. Wendy’s hand was strong, finger-tips calloused from all the guitar practice she did, but it was also gentle as she tugged Seulgi along behind her. She let go as soon as they got inside, and Seulgi fought the impulse to reach for her hand again.

They got into position. This was Joy’s scene, but Sungjae stood behind the director, making faces at Joy. Seulgi looked from Joy, to Sungjae, back to Joy again; she could tell that Joy was flustered, trying not to laugh. But once shooting was about to begin Sungjae disappeared further back into the shadows, watching carefully as the scene was shot.

One thing Seulgi had observed during the time she’d spent on set was that Joy was incredible at her job. While Sungjae was extremely talented, he was also always goofing around, which led to multiple takes and an extremely frustrated director. The rest of the crew were too charmed by his antics to be seriously annoyed. Joy, on the other hand, was incredibly professional. She worked really hard to make sure that a scene wouldn’t have to be shot more than two or three times.

But today was different. Joy was distracted, and the scene had to be shot multiple times. The extras waited patiently; Seulgi had learned that being an extra meant you were waiting ninety-five percent of the time, so she was used to it by now. By the eighth take, she had began to doze off. Wendy had to squeeze her hand to wake her up. When had she held it again? Seulgi had no idea. She sat up, adjusting herself in her seat.

“You okay?” Wendy whispered gently. Her eyes bore into Seulgi’s, concerned.

“Yeah, just a little sleepy,” Seulgi whispered back.

Seulgi resisted falling asleep for as long as she could. The day dragged, feeling longer than usual. By the time the last scene of the day was almost over, she had fallen asleep on Wendy’s shoulder. She was a deep sleeper, so she had to be shaken awake.

Once she realized where she was, she scrambled off.

“I got drool all over you!” she exclaimed, mortified at the wet spot on Wendy’s bright blue sweater.

Wendy hushed her. “Don’t worry about it,” she said flippantly. Seulgi looked around. The crew was packing up, getting ready to leave. Sungjae and Joy were long gone, and so was the director.

“How long was I asleep for?”

“Around half an hour? You didn’t miss too much.” Wendy held out her hand for Seulgi to take again, and Seulgi did, trying to hold back the small smile that threatened to give away the little thrill she got every time Wendy touched her.

Once they got to the bus stop, Wendy waited by Seulgi’s side instead of making her way to her bus the way she usually did.

“What are you doing?” Seulgi asked her.

Wendy fidgeted a little before responding. “Do you mind if I make sure you get home okay? Only if it’s okay with you. You seemed pretty out of it today,” she responded. Her voice was quiet, solemn almost.

“I don’t mind at all, but you don’t have to go out of your way for me.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I’d like to.”

The bus was pulling up next to them by then, so Seulgi had no time to object. Not that she’d wanted to. She felt the same jittery feeling from that first night after she’d met Wendy.

The bus was packed. They squeezed into the two seats in the back corner of the bus, Seulgi sitting in her usual spot by the window. But this time she didn’t have to lean her head against the glass and daydream about Wendy, because Wendy was right there. The thought made her happy, and she squeezed her friend’s hand in appreciation.

By the time they had reached Seulgi’s room, she was half-asleep again. She wanted to ask Wendy to stay - after all, it was late, and Wendy had come this far anyway - but she fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, she woke up to a glass of water by her bedside with a sticky note from Wendy attached carefully to it:

“Good morning sunshine! Hope you got some well deserved rest. Can’t wait to see you later x”

Seulgi picked up her phone right away, resolved to text Wendy before she talked herself out of it.

“Thx for getting me home last night. U rly didnt have to. C u soon”

Her phone vibrated a few minutes later. A simple “<3” sat in her inbox.

/

Seulgi was busy this weekend.

She had gathered all her courage to ask Wendy to hang out, realizing that filming was going to end soon and that she might not see Wendy as often as she did on set once it was all over. For once, Wendy looked a little flustered.

“I’d love to!” she eventually stammered out, looking nervous but excited. “Where do you want to go?”

They had decided not to make concrete plans; they’d meet at the park and go from there. Seulgi had no idea whether this was a date or not. She decided not to dwell on it. Wendy had become one of her closest friends over the past couple of months, so she was excited to spend time with her anyway.

Wendy was waiting when Seulgi arrived. It was a nice day, so they walked around outside until they got hungry. After lunch, they stumbled across a karaoke bar and Wendy had pulled Seulgi in, eyes sparkling. Wendy’s voice was beautiful, to say the least. Seulgi loved to sing herself, but she loved listening to Wendy sing even more. Wendy was a star, and she threw herself into every song she chose to sing, intense as ever. In the end Wendy had insisted they at least do one duet before stumbling out of the room, laughing with their arms linked.

When they sat down on a bench in the park again, sipping on iced coffee - Wendy’s black, Seulgi’s flavoured and sickly sweet - Seulgi pulled out her sketchpad and asked if she could draw Wendy, her tongue between her teeth as she concentrated on the angles of Wendy’s face and the way the light hit them so beautifully. She ultimately gave up when Wendy wouldn’t stop fidgeting, settling on sketching the skyline before them instead.

They ended up at a bar on the way home - Seulgi’s tolerance for alcohol was quite low, which was why she ended up kissing Wendy’s cheek then running to catch her bus before either of them could process what had happened. She was partially mortified at how bold she had been, but mostly she wanted to remember the look on Wendy’s face right before she had run off for a really long time.

/

Filming ended swiftly, with shooting going more smoothly during that last week. The film was slated for release later that year; some of the extras made a pact to meet up and watch it together. Joy thanked as many extras as she could individually, and Sungjae made a scene when he showed up in a king costume, leading to extras clambering to take selfies with him. The cast party was scheduled for the day after filming was over, to give everyone time to rest. Seulgi slept for twelve hours that night, and spent most of the day in bed, only getting up to get ready for the party.

Her dress was way too stiff to be comfortable, but her mother wouldn’t let her take it off, insisting that she looked beautiful in it. She had no time to find another dress anyway; she was already running late. She hopped on the bus, ignoring the stares that greeted her as she made her way to the back. The party was happening a five minute walk away from where filming had taken place, in a hotel ballroom that had been reserved for them.

Upon entering the ballroom she immediately sought out Wendy. She found her at the makeshift bar that had been set up, chatting with some old guy who turned out to be a music producer. She also saw Sungjae, hand-in-hand with the actor Nam Joohyuk - Wendy had been right after all, she thought wryly to herself - chatting with Joy, who looked beautiful in a midnight blue dress. She approached Wendy and the producer; Wendy excused herself the minute she saw Seulgi, gripping her arm and pulling her into a tight hug before holding her at arm’s length. “Wow. You look...wow,” she exclaimed, impressed. Seulgi flushed, sheepish but also pleased at Wendy’s reaction.

“Did you see Sungjae and Nam Joohyuk?” she asked. Wendy smiled knowingly, saying she had. Then she filled Seulgi in on her conversation with the producer, who had seen her covers on YouTube and offered her an audition for a low-budget play happening later in the year. They talked for a little longer, then the ballroom turned into a dancefloor. Seulgi reached out for Wendy and dragged her out to dance; many people tried to cut in, but they were too wrapped up in each other to notice. Seulgi saw Yeri watching them shrewdly in the corner of her eye, but ignored her. Joy was alternating happily dance partners. Sungjae and Nam Joohyuk were nowhere to be seen.

The party started to die down around midnight; they were exhausted by then anyway. Wendy offered Seulgi a ride home in her rental, which Seulgi gladly accepted. The conversation was easy, but as they neared Seulgi’s house they lapsed into silence. It was an uneasy silence; Seulgi could tell that they were both thinking. “Well. Here we are,” said Wendy as she pulled over in Seulgi’s driveway.

Seulgi’s heart was racing; she was surprised Wendy couldn’t hear it in the silence that surrounded them. Wendy’s eyes were unreadable in the darkness. She knew that now was the time to say what she had wanted to say for ages, but words failed her. So Seulgi leaned over the center console and kissed her.

 

_fin_

**Author's Note:**

> a huge thanks to jas for the giving me the push i needed to start this, and to chaska for giving me ideas i probably wouldn't have thought of myself. luv u guys


End file.
